Gleaning More Materials

I’ve used most of the building materials that have been stockpiled in the past; although there is more finish work in the house that needs to be completed. I hope to use the log railings for door and window trim inside. I have some baseboards for the house and rubber patio blocks that need to be installed outside. But I’m also thinking ahead to other projects.

This week I visited Repurposed Materials twice. Thursday to pick up a large galvanized window well that I bought when I was there on Monday for my auction items. I bought 4 drums of rubber infill, which seems to be tires finely ground that I will use instead of sand to lay a base for the rubber patio tile

Four barrels of rubber infill

I also won the bid for a set of metal rollers from a conveyer system that I will use for lumber rollers to support cut timbers too long for the table saw.

The galvanized metal window well is big. About 72″ long and 69 inches wide and about 23″ deep. I’m uncertain whether to use it as the base or the lid for the tank enclosure. I bought two hydraulic bed lifts to allow access to the enclosure.

Selby Bed Lift Installed

I have to insulate the enclosure well and there will be holes in the material used on the side for pipe access. I want it below the deck wall so that it does not interfere with the view.

Window Well

I still had two of the barrels of rubber granules in the truck because they were too heavy to dump. The loaders pulled them to the back for me and loaded the window well on top. The metal originally sat directly over the bed rails but it fell down almost immediately when I left the yard even though it was tied and tightened with bungee cords. At least it didn’t fall off completely. I got out of the truck on the highway ramp to retighten the ropes and bungees keeping it on the truck for the trip home.

Window well in truck

I also picked up just two of these plastic lattice edges because they seemed like they would work for holding the glass in the trombe wall. They might work but they cost $3 each. I don’t have a plan yet to help decide whether they are worth it or how many I would need.

Lattice fence edges

I also bought one of these roof pavers just to see if it would work as a foundation for the tank enclosure. They are $135 for 20 or $6.75 a piece.

Extruded polystyrene and concrete roof pavers

I was dreaming about putting these on our flat roof and building up a green roof on top of them for better insulation up there. But they are not in the best shape and I’m not sure the roof can take the extra weight. The rafters are 2 x 12’s and it is a short span of about 12 ft. so the roof is pretty sturdy. The green roofs I’m researching are shallow systems that use sedum and grasses instead of deep soil. These cement pavers are held on just by perimeter edging and are tongue and groove so the wind won’t lift them. They would add about R15 to the roof.

When I was on the east side of town I also drove to Aurora and bought a small electric water heater to use for a drain back tank for the hot tub solar water system. I had been looking out for a reasonably priced or free non-working small water heater. A 10 gallon one costs about $250 new and I bought this 115 volt model for $50.

19 Gallon Electric Water Heater

I need the tank for the liquid in the thermal heating system. The panels each hold a little over a gallon of liquid and the tank has to hold all the liquid in the panels and piping including the heat exchanger. It is supposed to be about 50% larger than all the liquid so 10 gallons may not have been enough but 19 gallons should be plenty.

This project will take awhile but it will be great to have more solar and save on the electricity used to heat the hot tub.